Plenty of players go under the radar for Super League sides, doing their job without question and to the best of their ability.
But, in a season as weird and wonderful as 2020, just which five deserve recognition for doing so?
Michael Lawrence
Huddersfield’s loose forward, Michael Lawrence, has made nearly 300 appearances for his boyhood club, and, aged just 30, has many years left in him. He was the league’s top tackler in 2020 with 749 and made the most marker tackles with 191. Lawrence’s consistency has made him a fans’ favourite at the John Smith’s Stadium for a good few years and that is unlikely to change.
Sam Powell
The likes of Bevan French, Tommy Leuluai and Jackson Hastings may take most of the plaudits, but Sam Powell is incredibly important to this Wigan side. With the second most tackles in the league with 705 and the man that makes the Warriors tick from acting half, Powell was arguably one of the form number nines in 2020.
Krisnan Inu
Krisnan Inu played just once before lockdown, but the Kiwi became an integral cog in the Salford wheel after it, scoring 12 tries and kicking 41 goals. In fact, it was the winger’s goalkicking that effectively sent the Red Devils to Wembley with a two-point triumph against Warrington in the semis.
James Bentley
He’s been at St Helens since 2018, but 2020 was an altogether different season for Bentley. Having nailed down a position in the back-row, the 23-year-old became a different animal post-lockdown. Bentley made 14 appearances in the second half of the season, becoming a crucial figure in Saints’ charge to a Grand Final success.
Tom Davies
After winning the Grand Final with Wigan back in 2018, Tom Davies moved across the English Channel to sign with the Catalans Dragons ahead of the 2020 season, settling in seamlessly in the south of France.
Prior to lockdown, the winger failed to make an appearance before turning out 11 times for the Dragons following the resumption, scoring 13 tries. But, it was his overall play and metre-eating runs out of defence that makes Davies’ place well-deserved.
